Founders

“You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were.” (2 Timothy 3:14)

I am writing all this not to make you ashamed but simply to remind you, as my dear children; for even though you might have ten thousand slaves to look after you in Christ, you still have no more than one father, and it was I who fathered you in Christ Jesus, by the gospel. That is why I urge you to take me as your pattern and why I have sent you Timothy, a dear and faithful son to me in the Lord, who will remind you of my principles of conduct in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. (1 Corinthians 4:14-17)

The founders of our Community are Br. O. J. Victor and Br. Shaji. They lived in India. Br. Victor was a lawyer by profession and Br. Shaji was a university student when they encountered the Risen Lord in the years 1986 and 1989 respectively. They experienced deep conversions from their former way of living. After their conversions, they left everything behind to follow Christ.

They spent many months in secluded prayer, meditating on the Scriptures and performing penance. Because of their total dedication to God, they were blessed by God with the unique Apostolic Charism for preaching the Catholic Faith all over the world. (Romans 1:5-6)

Blessed with spiritual gifts of treasuring the Scriptures (Luke 2:19), discernment of spirits (1Corinthians 12:10), deliverance (Luke 11:20), performing of signs and wonders to win people to the faith (2Corinthians 12:12), divine knowledge and wisdom (Romans 11:33-35; James 3:17), these tireless apostles worked without rest to bring people back to the Catholic Faith. (Philippians 2:19-22)

The Community of Grace evolved from a group of young men who were disciples of Br. Victor and Br. Shaji. After the death of Br. Shaji in 1995, they felt called by God to work for the Kingdom of God. This call took concrete shape after the death of Br. Victor in 1997. In the year 2000, under an inspiration from God, these young men travelled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates desiring to take the message of Christ all over the world. They started a small prayer gathering in their residence which included a few families. In the years that followed, the unique charism which was in operation in them was praised and officially recognised by the Vicariate of Southern Arabia and this 'Community' as it now involved both young people who had taken vows of celibacy, families and also several priests and religious from different parts of the world was recognised as a Public Association.